Health, Travel, Fun, and Deep Thoughts….

Why Do I Have Diabetes?

Update: After I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, I read over 20 books and attended conferences with a goal of reversing my symptoms.

10 weeks after I wrote the blog post below, I was back in the hospital twice more for the same reason: life-threatening diabetic ketoacidosis. I had done everything I could to “reverse my diabetes.” Why wasn’t it working? Because I was misdiagnosed.

Misdiagnosis is quite common because people (including many doctors!) tend to think of Type 1 as something that only begins when you are a juvenile. I, and many others, are living proof that is not true.

It’s a shame I had to start my journey judging myself so harshly. On the bright side, it’s good to reflect and make corrections in life when needed. I am glad to be back on track with keeping myself generally healthy now.

Here is my original post, when I was completely focused on finding the cause and cure for my incorrectly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes.

In my last blog post, I shared my type 2 diabetes diagnosis that I learned while having a diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) attack in an ambulance. DKA is usually something that only occurs in type 1 diabetics, but can happen to type 2 diabetics in extreme cases or during an illness.

The first 6 weeks after my hospital stay were very emotional for me. I felt guilty, angry, sad, and frustrated. Apparently, I went through a standard grievance process. I spent many hours researching and contemplating “what went wrong?” I wanted to be knowledgeable and completely honest with myself about what caused my diabetes.

The day Libby stopped going to the gym – Nov 2016

First, how did I end up in the emergency room? I think that began two months before when I slipped on a sidewalk and hurt both my arms. I rarely left my hotel room after that. I had virtually no exercise and my food and drink choices were full of sugar, rather than following my usual healthy whole food plant-based diet. I was getting quite unhealthy.

Then I caught the flu, which means my body was making extra glucose. This was the big trigger for my DKA attack. However, in order for it to get to this life-threatening stage, I likely had undiagnosed diabetes for many months.

I believe the following issues are the causes of my type 2 diabetes:

Libby out of shape – Dec 2016

My belly fat. By medical standards, my 5’8″ 150 pound body was considered “healthy,” but I certainly needed to lose weight. Throughout my adult life, my weight shifted up and down within a 25-pound range. 3 years ago I was at my highest, but I started a whole food plant-based diet and lost 50 pounds. I continued to follow this healthy lifestyle in general, but I made a number of exceptions for the sake of travelling and living in hotels. I gained back some of the weight I lost, and my belly came back to visit. In medical terms, visceral fat was stored around my internal organs, including my liver and pancreas, which promoted insulin resistance. (See Diabetes as a Disease of Fat Toxicity for more information.)

My sedentary lifestyle. I sat in a chair most of the day and did not typically have much daily physical activity, especially in the most recent months before the attack.

I’m over 40, and diabetes runs in my family. Whether it’s truly in the genes, or that I have similar eating patterns as my type 2 diabetic mother, I seemed to be at risk.

I did not get medical check-ups. I avoided going to a doctor for many years, and I never had my blood tested for pre-diabetes.

Poor food and drink choices. This one goes hand-in-hand with the extra belly fat. Especially In the previous few months before my diagnosis, I was consuming too much alcohol (mostly rum) and eating quite poorly (processed salty, sugary snacks including trans fats). Major carb abuse. I swore to myself that I would give it all up in the new year!

Libby drank a lot of rum from the Carribbean, Central America, and South America

I look at these causes as lessons learned. The silver lining is that my condition provides the ultimate motivation that I need to get and stay healthy. My next steps are clearly:

Control my blood sugar levels.Through trial-and-error and use of my glucose meter, determine exactly how food and exercise affect my blood sugar so that I can optimize my health plan for long-term non-diabetic blood sugar levels.

These days my blood sugar levels are excellent and stable. I take daily walks, and I work out at my hotel gym 5 days/week. I even bought a Fitbit to help motivate me and keep track of my heartbeat and my calories out. I’m also eating super healthy again. I spent 2 hours with a nutritionist last week and learned so much! I’m tracking everything I eat, so I can share all of my information later. I currently take oral medicine (Glipizide and Metformin), but I hope to wean off of them soon.

Libby Back in Super Healthy Mode! March 11, 2017

For the past few weeks, I have stayed in hotels with kitchens. It was great to be able to make my own meals. However, I’ve found that I can eat very healthy in a standard hotel too. I’ll be writing more about the topic of healthy eating in hotels. I still haven’t made any decisions about whether I’ll be continuing the hotel lifestyle or “settling down” somewhere with a kitchen. I’ll share more soon!

What do you think? Am I being realistic enough? Do you agree or disagree with my causes?

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8 comments

Your writing style makes me enjoy reading what you write. You share your personal thoughts and experiences in a positive way and that pulls the reader right in!
I am proud of you and the way you look at and live your life.
Thank you for making my awesome son so happy.
My Love Always,
Mom Whitehawk

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